Rotary internal combustion engine



March 12, 1940- F. A. LAYTHORPE ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOE. F'fi. LJQYTHOBPE. D562- 5 .ELBYTHOQPE:

* Adm n 1' Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES ao'mny INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Frank Albert Laytliorpe, deceased, late of Bomiord, England, by Annie Ellen Iaythom, administratrlx, Domiord, England, assignor to L. V. B. Compressors Limited, Romiord. England Application lClaim.

This invention relates to a rotary internal combustion engine and has for its object to provide an eiiicient power unit of simple construction.

Broadly the invention provides a rotary engine comprising a charge-compressing unit and a power unit, both units incorporating. rotors mounted eccentrically within chambers to provide crescent-shaped working compartments, within which compartments charge-compressing and combustion cells are formed between adjacent varies slidably mounted on the rotors.

The engine components are so constructed and arranged that the transference of the compressed charge is effected from a compression unit cell to a power unit cell when the latter is substantially devoid of pressure and, in any event, is at a lower pressure than the compression unit cell.

The power unit rotor may be provided with peripheral combustion pockets between the rotor go vanes, the capacity of which may be varied so as to alter the compression ratio oi! the engine.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through the 95 engine.

Figure 2 is a side view looking in the direction of arrow IIFigure 1-with the casing cover and stub shaft 5 of the power unit removed and the rotor shown partially in section.

Figure 3 is a side view looking in the direction of arrow Elk-Figure i--wlth the casing cover and stub shaft 5' of the compression unit removed and parts shown broken away.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the casing, showing the covers separated therefrom.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the transfer ducts and ports.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of one of the vane units showing one of the vanes thereof in section.

' Figure '7 is a side elevation of one of the vane units showing one of the vanes thereof in section; and

Figure 8 shows two forms of plug for varying the capacity of the rotor pockets.

In the construction illustrated, a power rotor,

I and a compression rotor 2 are keyed to a common shaft 3 journalled in the partition of a casing 4 and supported also by aligned'shafts 5 and 5' journalled in the covers 6 thereof. The rotors 50 l and 2 are mounted eccentrically within the casing so as to provide crescent-shaped working compartments, but'whereas the rotors I and 2 are in alignment, their respective chambers 'l, I are in disalignment, so that the point a: where the 5 periphery of the compression rotor 2 contacts February 14, 1938, serial No. 190,509 Great Britain March 2, 1937 with its chamber 8 is about in advance of the point 0 where the periphery oi the power unit I contacts with its chamber I. Each rotor i, 2 carries an even number of sliding vanes 9, rigidly coupled in opposite pairs by pairs of tie rods Ill,- thereby preventing outward movement of each vane 9 independently under the action of centrifugal force. In this way excessive friction of the vanes 9 against the chamber wall at high speeds is eliminated. The vanes 9; carry U- 10 shaped sealing strips ll which are pressed by springs it into contact with the chamber walls. The strips ii are accommodated between flanges i3, portions of which (indicated at it) are cut away to permit curved sealing strips i 5 to extend over the flanges l3 and make end contact with the vane sealing strips ii. The curved strips it (of which there are preferably two, interlocked as shown, between adjacent vanes 9) are'accommodated in grooves it in the side faces of the rotors l, 2 and are forced by springs ll into intimate contact with the walls of the chambers l, t and the covers 6, to prevent leakage of fluid toward the shafts 3, t and b. The tie rods iii are flattened to allow lubricating oil to pass into the rod sockets i8 and out through holes. E9 to the outer faces of the vanes 9. The oil holes is are uncovered only when the vane 9 is at its furthest point of projection from the rotor, at which point the cell formed between adjacent vanes is at its lowest pressure or compression. The lubricant is fed, preferably under pressure, through the passage 28 and the bore iii of shaft is to the bores 22 of the rotors i, 2 through which latter the crossing tie-rods id of the two pairs of vanes 8 pass.

. fionical "combustion pockets 23 are provided in the periphery of the power rotor l, in the base of which conical plugs 24 of difierent sizes (see Figure 8) may be screwed to vary the capacity of the pockets 23 and thus alter the compression ratio of the engine.

The combustible mixture of fuel and air enters the compression unit through a throttle-regulated suction inlet 25 and is compressed in the cells formed between adjacent blades 9 of the compression rotor 2, by reason of the diminishing size of the cell as it approaches the contact point v. The compressed mixture discharges through ports 26 into atransier duct 21, and leaves this duct 21 through inlet ports 28 to enter a cell in the power unit which is at a lower pressure than that from whence the compressed charge has issued. The pockets 23 convey the highly compressed mixture over the dead centre or con- March 12, 1940. w. P. MacMlCKlNG DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL 1 m w m mm m w: a .2 t 2 m up. mw (I l k r 8 llILL 3 I 9 l I O 2 I M d e l 1 F WI LLIAH'ENAcNIcKI HG- 

